In a season of scoring droughts and inconsistent offense, Tuesday had the makings of a fitting conclusion to the University of Wisconsin’s 2022-23 season.
For whatever reason, this NIT appearance has given the Badgers new life and a renewed sense of fight.
Trailing by as many as eight points in the second half, No.2 Wisconsin made five of its final six shots, including a couple of go-ahead three-pointers in the final two minutes, to stun No.1 Oregon, 61-58, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.
Junior Max Klesmit was the hero for Wisconsin (20-14), scoring a game-high 18 points in a team-high 39 minutes of action, which included turning the ball over only once, going 6-for-7 from the line, and contesting guard Quincy Guerrier’s tying three-pointer as the final horn sounded.
As a result, the Badgers are headed to their first NIT Final Four, which will take place next Tuesday at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Awaiting them will be North Texas, the No.2 seed in the Oklahoma State regional which went on the road and knocked off the Cowboys, 65-59, in overtime.
The other semifinal will pit the winners of Wednesday’s quarterfinals between No.2 Vanderbilt and No.4 UAB and No.2 Cincinnati and Utah Valley.
It was far from pretty, as Wisconsin shot 33.3 percent but countered by going 7-for-22 from the perimeter and 12-for-13 from the free-throw line.
Midway through the second half, Wisconsin looked sunk after going nearly four minutes without scoring, missing eight straight shots over the type of stretch that had become all too familiar for the team. The drought allowed Oregon (21-15) to go on a 10-0 run to take a 45-37 lead with 11:15 remaining, but the Badgers slowly chipped back into the game.
A 7-2 run, capped by a Klesmit three, got the Badgers to within 47-44 with 6:59 remaining. Spending the better part of the next four minutes trading offense, Klesmit put the Badgers ahead with his second three-pointer with 1:42 remaining.
Guerrier made a driving layup to put the Ducks ahead, 57-56, but Chucky Hepburn made a three-pointer in front of Wisconsin’s bench to retake the lead with 56 seconds left. Hepburn finished with 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting, but UW didn’t trail again after that make.
Klesmit capped the scoring - and a 13-4 closing run over the final 3:14 - with two free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining and delivered a sign of relief after Guerrier’s three hit off the side rim following his contest.
Keeshawn Barthelemy scored 15 points for the Ducks, who were without its top three scorers, all of whom averaged in double figured and represented 42.6 percent of their scoring. Two of those players shot better than 79 percent from the free throw line, which could have helped Oregon on a night it went 4-for-12 from the line.
Those three not being in the mix was beneficial to Wisconsin early, as the Badgers led, 27-26, at the break after making one field goal and scoring six points over the final 8:32 of the half. That scoring drought was impacted by Wisconsin committing eight turnovers and going 4-for-11 on layups over its 32 possessions.
What it means: After beating a pair of mid-majors at home, Wisconsin knocked off the No.1-seed in its region that didn’t have its top three scorers. After the bad breaks the Badgers had this season (a lot of which was self-inflicted), they won’t apologize for qualifying for their first NIT Final Four after a cross-country travel with one day of prep.
Star of the game: Klesmit has suddenly developed into a confident scorer and clutch shooter for the Badgers over this NIT run, which the staff is hopeful will carry over into next season.
Stat of the game: Steven Crowl overcame foul trouble and the shot-blocking Oregon defense (the Ducks outswatted UW, 8-1) to register nine points, 10 rebounds, and three assists.
Reason to be Concerned: Tyler Wahl was only 1-for-9 from the floor and that make was a three-point shot on his only perimeter attempt, as the senior struggled to find any kind of rhythm in the interior. However, Wahl finished with six assists, including a helper on each of UW's final three field goals.
Don’t overlook: Jordan Davis provided a huge lift off the bench for Wisconsin, adding six points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.
What’s next: After failing to win more than two games in four previous NIT appearances, Wisconsin has its first three-game winning streak since late December and advance to next week’s NIT semifinals in Las Vegas. Awaiting the Badgers will be North Texas, the No.2 seed in its region which dispatched No.1 seed Oklahoma State, 65-59 in overtime, behind 23 points from senior guard Tylor Perry. The Badgers have never faced the Mean Green (29-7), which finished second in Conference USA to Sweet 16 bound Florida Atlantic. The game will be televised on ESPN with a time TBD.
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